Abstract:

The incidence of both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasing and is becoming a
social and economic threat worldwide. Recent research studies indicate that both diseases share some
pathophysiological features and that specifically, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor of
Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between diabetes mellitus and
AD, explore the efficacy of selected drugs on patients with diabetes and AD, and compare the relative
risk of diabetes for Alzheimer’s disease within different clinical studies. The method of literature search
in several acknowledged databases such as Web of Science, Elsevier Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus
in the period from 2000 to 2015 for the following keywords: “Alzheimer’s AND disease AND diabetes
AND mellitus” was used. The identified studies were divided into two basic groups, based on their
focus: efficacy of the selected drugs on patients suffering from AD and diabetes, and a link between diabetes
and AD; as diabetes is seen as a risk factor of AD. The findings of this study confirm that there is a
close and direct link between diabetes and AD, which indicates that there is a need for early diagnosis of
metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and T2DM. In fact, the reviewed clinical trials have proved an
increase in the risk of AD. However, the values of this risk are relatively low. The results also illustrate
that both pharmacological (e.g., the antidiabetic drugs together with insulin dosing) and nonpharmacological
(e.g., being intensively engaged in physical activities) treatments can have a positive
effect. The results of this study confirm that diabetes and AD are not independent disorders since they
share some common pathophysiological mechanisms. In addition, more clinical randomized control trials
are needed to explore the efficacy of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to
the treatment of T2DM and AD.

Abstract:The incidence of both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasing and is becoming a
social and economic threat worldwide. Recent research studies indicate that both diseases share some
pathophysiological features and that specifically, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor of
Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between diabetes mellitus and
AD, explore the efficacy of selected drugs on patients with diabetes and AD, and compare the relative
risk of diabetes for Alzheimer’s disease within different clinical studies. The method of literature search
in several acknowledged databases such as Web of Science, Elsevier Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus
in the period from 2000 to 2015 for the following keywords: “Alzheimer’s AND disease AND diabetes
AND mellitus” was used. The identified studies were divided into two basic groups, based on their
focus: efficacy of the selected drugs on patients suffering from AD and diabetes, and a link between diabetes
and AD; as diabetes is seen as a risk factor of AD. The findings of this study confirm that there is a
close and direct link between diabetes and AD, which indicates that there is a need for early diagnosis of
metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and T2DM. In fact, the reviewed clinical trials have proved an
increase in the risk of AD. However, the values of this risk are relatively low. The results also illustrate
that both pharmacological (e.g., the antidiabetic drugs together with insulin dosing) and nonpharmacological
(e.g., being intensively engaged in physical activities) treatments can have a positive
effect. The results of this study confirm that diabetes and AD are not independent disorders since they
share some common pathophysiological mechanisms. In addition, more clinical randomized control trials
are needed to explore the efficacy of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to
the treatment of T2DM and AD.